The Tale Of The Next Dragon Warrior
by Shomei No Jisshi
Summary: The tale of a caravan slave named Quicai, and how he was chosen many years after the events of the original KFP canon to be the Dragon Warrior to succeed Po. As he becomes the protector of China with the New Furious Five, an enemy comes and everything changes... And the fate of China relies on a final battle. Rated T, don't like, don't read.
1. Meet Quicai

"Hurry up, hurry up then." 

The goat yelled toward the many members of the caravan he was leading, whom had just traded and sold in the Kin-Do Valley and are headed for the Valley Of Peace. He started to grow impatient, since the caravan was quite huge and there was many people living is small mobile tents, and with the added weight of goods the weight was very suferable and the 30-something workers suffered.

But the goat looked especially to one black panther, who has been carrying the most weight and therefore very tired and weary and falling in and out of sleep. He looked like a teenager, but he was really only 22 years old. "Quicai!" he yells toward the panther, whom was falling asleep and is now awake. "Y-yes, Baojun?" "Put more back into it?" Quicai growls, and then throws the contents he carries on the ground. "You know what? No." He looks to Baojun, whom grabs the whip on his belt. "I'm not being part of this stupid caravan anymore. I was named 'Prodigy' because my mother knew I'm destined to do great things, but her and dad HAD to be killed by those robbers, and I was sold here. I'm not your slave, I want out. After we reach the Valley, I'm going to pay my freedom from you."

Baojun says nothing, but grabs his whip and whips Quicai several times until his temple is covered with blood. "How about you shut up and face it, you're staying here until you die. You don't have a cent on you. Now grab the gear and if you break out again I will make sure I whip into the skull." He puts the whip back as Quicai reluctantly picks up the gear again and walks along.

Two hours later, the caravan arrives in the Valley Of Peace. It's had many minor changes over the past 40 years, including a gigantic golden statue of the previous Dragon Warrior, Po Ping, who tragically died of a terminal illness only 22 years prior. After that time, Shifu ascended to the stars like Oogway had before, and a tiger who has been loyal for over 40 years was declared in Shifu's final moments as the new keeper of the Jade Palace. Ever since, a new Furious Five slowly swept in, and the original members have moved on and four of the five have been unheard of since. The only remaining Five member that anybody knows about from the previous Five is Tigress, whom has been meditating near the Pool Of Sacred Tears for years on end.

Quicai and the others set up the caravan in the shopping square, with Baojun attracting customers and such. Quicai took a break two hours later and slipped into the square without Baojun noticing. He was quite fascinated with all the things available, and wished he had money to buy a nice relic and some apples that were for once not rotten.

While in the middle of staring, Quicai crashed into somebody, and fell against the pavement and started seeing stars. He got up and saw a female white tiger at the bottom, clutching her head. She had baskets of many foods and goods, which were sprawled all around on the ground now.

"Oh, crap! I'm so so sorry!" Quicai said, and offered his hand to the girl. "Do you need help getting up?" he asked. "No, I think I'm good." she replies, and gets up, and starts to gather the things she dropped to her left. Quicai gathered all the things to the right and gave it to her when she turned. "Thanks." she said, and walked off. Quicai then turned and called, "Hey! What's your name?" She turned around. "Gequ." she says, and continues to walk off into the square.

"Gequ." Quicai mutters to himself, and walks back to the caravan, hoping Baojun hasn't noticed. To his luck, Baojun noticed and stood there, whip at hand. "Where were you?" he asked, with a very furious tone. Quicai gulps. "I was... looking around." "You're supposed to be handling the glass artifacts." "I thought Bui could do it." "No... come over here." Quicai sadly walks over to Baojun and gets whipped. A lot. So many times that he lay to a near bloody pulp on the ground, and could barely see out from much blood loss.

"Now get up." Baojun said, and then kicked Quicai. "GET UP." he continued. "Hey, stop that." a voice said distantly, and looked over to see Gequ stare at him with a disapproving face, arms crossed. "Who the hell are you?" "My name's Gequ Taitan, I'm the daughter of a traveling salesman and a nurse, and lived on the other side of the country for quite a long time. I was invited by the Jade Palace to replace Tigress as a member of the Furious Five when I was only 10 years old, and accepted, and was trained in the arts of Kung Fu by my master Siko-Yama Artemis Korkai. I'm one of the greatest Kung Fu fighters in all of China and I'd like you to let him alone or you will be kicked to the other side of the world before you can say 'dumpling.' Are we clear?" Everybody around stared in disbelief at the white tiger, and Baojun frowned. "I don't give a damn about your life story, this is my worker and I'm going to treat him however I want to." "I'll assume he was in a slave market?" "What's it to you?" "How much to buy him from you?"

Baojun smiled. "3,000 cents." "Just 3,000?" Gequ pulled a bag of coins out of her pocket and gave it to Baojun. "Now, you clean him up and deliever him on the door of the Jade Palace at exactly 9:00 tonight. I'll be waiting for you, so don't pull anything." She walked away, and Baojun laughed at her and counted the money. "Stupid bitch."

Gequ waited on the top step of the Jade Palace at exactly 9:00 and waited for Baojun himself to have Quicai with him, but instead two of the slaves walked up and put the sleeping Quicai on the step. "Baojun couldn't make it." "Yeah, I'm _sure_ he couldn't. You are dismissed." The slaves bowed and walked off. Instead of carrying the panther, Gequ walked inside the Hall of Warriors, to find her master meditating next to the small pond, and without looking, said, "Who did you bring in this time?" "Oh do be quiet, Master Korkai." SikoYama got up and turned. "You bring in poop people every week and we care for them everytime and dismiss them, and it's starting to get repetitive. Remember the time we had the ram that broke our training room because we didn't get his soup right."

"Yes, I remember the time. Not one of my favorite moments." "Yes. What's the reason you brought this kid over?" "He was being beaten by his owner." "A slave from the other side of China?" "Yes, a caravan." "Alright. We'll let him stay here and get him to his feet. Nothing more."

"Yes, Master." Gequ said and went back out to help up Quicai.


	2. Welcome to the Jade Palace

Quicai awoke the next morning in a room with a single bed, a door, window, table and nothing more. His head hurt quite a bit, and he felt around to his temple to discover he has a few bandages around his head, as well as his arms, torso, and legs. He took them off and lay them on his bed, knowing he doesn't need him and he's been healing his own injuries since he was little, being used to getting whipped by Baojun.

He exited to find himself in the Jade Palace's sleeping quarters, and all the rooms in the hall were empty. He was rather astonished to find himself somewhere other than the caravan tent he's accustomed to, but adjusted quickly, and tried to find his way through the large temple to find the kitchen. When he arrived there, there was a small pot of noodles that smelled like it was a few nights old, but looked fresh. 'These must've been laid out last night for dinner for whoever lives here,' Quicai thought to himself, and poured some into a small bowl and got some chopsticks to feast on it. And feast he did, half the bowl being gone in about 5 seconds.

"I see you're enjoying that." said a voice from behind, and in shock Quicai threw the bowl to the other side of the room, and turned to see SikoYama looking at him with a neutral face. "Um... hi... could you please tell me where I am?" "You're in the Jade Palace, the greatest safehaven for Kung Fu in all of China." Quicai's eyes widened. "Holy crap... ohhhhh jeez... I've only heard stories of this place! And I'm here?!" "Yes. Our Furious Five member Gequ bought you from your slave owner to stay here to recoup for a bit."

_Gequ. _The name rang in Quicai's head, remembering his ecounter with her the day before. "Wait... she's in the Furious Five?" "Yes." Quicai froze in his place for a second, and SikoYama waved his hand in front of the panther's face until he snapped out of it. "I didn't know that..." "I'd think you didn't. Oh, and silly me, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm the Master and Keeper on the Jade Palace, SikoYama Korkai." Quicai started to almost have a panic attack until SikoYama walked up and flicked him on the head. "Don't be so fanboyish, like our Dragon Warrior was." "I'm sorry, I just... I'm honored to be in your prescence... Never would I think of meeting you..." "Yes, good for you, you can stop your crazy fanboying now. Want to go to the Training Hall to meet the Furious Five?" "Would I!" Quicai excalimed as he walked out the door and ran to the right. "The Hall's on the left!" SikoYama called, and three seconds later Quicai ran in the other direction.

A minute later, SikoYama and Quicai walked inside the Training Hall, to see the new Furious Five training in action on each obstacle course. Gequ was at the Seven Swinging Clubs of Instant Oblivion, beating each one down swiftly and furiously, not to mention with unbeatable precision. The monkey of the group was at the Seven Talon Rings, going through each hoop as he should. The praying mantis was at the Gauntlet Of Wooden Warriors with not a single hit inflicted upon him. The bird was at the Tortoise Of Ancient Wisdom and doing flying forms inside and out, dodging it's violent rotating. The snake was at the Fiery Fields Of Death, missing each fire beam by an inch of her scales.

"At ease!" SikoYama called, and each member flew to the front of the Hall standing straight in front of their Master, and bowed. "Quicai... what's your last name, now?" "To tell you the truth, I don't remember. I was too young when taking in the slave market to remember and my slave master never told me." "Oh, sorry to hear that. But anyway, Quicai, I'd like you to meet our Furious Five. I know you've already met our tiger, Gequ." Gequ waved at Quicai. "Here's our monkey, Zhu." Zhu used his tail to sit upright and tried, but failed to look impressive. Quicai snickered. "This is our bird of the team, a crane like our Master Crane from the previous Furious Five, Feixing." Feixing nodded his head. "Here's our praying mantis, Zha." Zha looked at Quicai and then to Zhu and shaked his head at the monkey, who was still trying to make himself look impressive. "And lastly, our snake, Duye." Duye hissed at Quicai, and Quicai backed up a bit. "Don't be scared, Qucai. She hates strangers. And she won't bite. Unless I tell her to." SikoYama says, and Quicai gets a little more nervous.

"I'm going to go meditate near the Peach Tree, Gequ, you're in charge of the Jade Palace until I'm back." "Yes, Master." Gequ bows. "Hey, how come she's always the one watching over us? Can't I be in charge for once?" Duye exclaimed, and SikoYama looked to her. "Because Gequ here is the most responsible out of all your lot, and I trust her with the Palace more than any of you. Now. Training is dismissed, you're free for the day." He turns to Quicai. "You may stay here for as long as you like, and if you need we'll help you get on your feet in a settlement here in the Valley of Peace." "Thank you, Master Korkai." "Don't mention it." SikoYama walks out the door, and everybody walks to their own buisness.

Quicai headed first to the nearest bathroom, as he needed to go really badly. He reached the room, and saw the door closed, and checked to see if it was locked. Nope. He opened the door to see Zha in about to go to the bathroom, and they both looked at each other and screamed. "What the hell are you doing in here?!" Zha excalimed, with Quicai replying "I was going to go to the bathroom, what the hell are you doing in here?!" "The same!" "Is there another bathroom?" "I don't know!" "Damn! Well okay, I'm out!" "Please do get out, I'm really picky about privacy!" "Got it!" "Alright, go out!" "I am!" "Good!" "Great! "Fantastic!" "Splendid!" "Bossa-nova!" "Bossa-nova? What the hell is that?" "Alright. How about bodacious?" "That's better." "Now get out!" "Alright!" Quicai closes the door walking out and looks to find another bathroom.

Meanwhile, by the Peach Tree, SikoYama starts to meditate slowly until he starts to fade into a rather spiritual place, and he is surrounded by masters of the past, Shifu, Oogway, and lastly, Po. "Hello." SikoYama says, and the others nod besides from Po, who's stomach growls. "Who'd think I would still be hungry in the afterlife..." Po mutters, and looks to SikoYama. "Oh, hi." "See you're as unsophisticated as ever." "I don't like being all high and mighty. I'm just... Po." "Alright, got it. So. What's going on here?" "Well we have an important matter to discuss above all," Oogway says, and Shifu nods and looks to SikoYama. "You know when Po died the title of Dragon Warrior was spiritually passed to a child born on the exact second after his death, with the energy choice hiding until the middle of his or her's 22nd year, correct?" "Yes." "Well that time has come today." SikoYama smiled. "So who is it, and where are they located?" "As for location, they're residing in the Jade Palace right now!" Oogway said, and SikoYama tensed. "One of my warriors! To think that! Which one? I wouldn't be surprised if it was Feixing." "Actually, no, it isn't. Po, would you do the honors?" Po was dozing off on the rock he was sitting on, and then woke. "Wait, what?" "Tell Korkai your succesor as Dragon Warrior!" "Oh, yeah. The guy replacing me is..."

Gequ sat in her room, reading the newest newspaper of China, as the printed press had been discovered 33 years prior*, and was reading about how the disbanded Croc Bandits of old were trying to make a comeback but were thwarted by the Task Force. "Stupid crocs." she muttered, and there was a knock on her door. "Come in." Quicai entered, and Gequ sighed. "What do you want?" "I just want to say thank you for buying me from that horrid Baojun. He made my life miserable." "Don't mention it." As Gequ said that last line, a bell rang in the distance of the Jade Palace's courtyard, and Gequ's ears sprang up and her eyes widened. "Master only rings that bell on urgent matters. You should come too, this may be really important and you might want to see it." Quicai nodded and they both ran out.

The Five rebanded in the courtyard straight in front of their Master, while Quicai stood on the steps watching what was going on. "I have urgent news from our masters in the spirit world as to the future of China, I felt I should not alert the members of China yet because I don't feel it neccesary until I'm done speaking." "Well what is it then?" Feixing asked, and SikoYama straightened. "They have found who the new Dragon Warrior is." Everybody there, including Quicai, were stunned at the news. "And it came to my attention it is one of you." The Five tensed and stared. "Who here is it? Tell me Master, please let it be me!" Duye yelled, and SikoYama looked to her. "It's not you." "Damn it!" she yelled, and sulked. SikoYama looked to each of the Five. "It is..." SikoYama walked past the tense Five, and pointed to Quicai.

"It's you, Quicai. Or should I say, Dragon Warrior."


End file.
